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Building
This info is up-to-date as of Aug 2014 (closed beta), but may change at any time, due to frequent game updates as the game develops. Landmark not strictly a building game, but building is one of its key focuses. This article describes important information about building to help you understand what to expect and offers some general advice for those getting started. In essence this is an introduction to building, rather than a step-by-step guide. You can see descriptions of what each tool does on the building tools page (including keyboard shortcuts). Beta and Building Claims and Building tools are currently two of the most complete systems right now, but still not complete enough to say that won't change again any day. The developers are "polishing" them and still adding requested functions and features to both systems. In other words, don't get discouraged if you struggle a bit while building. Go to the forums and give feedback; they are constantly working to make these tools easier to use for a wider audience, without loosing the unique power to build amazing things. To put things into perspective, the ability to paste without voxels (a feature than functions like a real-world cookie cutter) was added during an update on the first week of August. Everything you build in closed beta can be saved in as a template so you can use it again after the server wipe between closed and open beta. The template system will also be a permanent feature in the game. Getting Building Tools *Before you can build anything in Landmark, you need to stake a claim first. Once you do so, all of the building tools will be placed in your inventory (press i''' to open). *You can then drag the tools down to your hotbar (shown in the image to the right). *You will click on a tool in your hotbar to switch to it; doing so activates the tool and your character will enter "build mode". Press ESC to cancel the use of any tool and exit build mode if you want to switch to an activity like placing a prop. *You can use the tools from the the hotbar when you are on your claim or any claim you have been granted Builder access at by your friends. *The tools must (currently) remain in your inventory; if you attempt to store them in you vault or in a storage chest you will need to move them back to your inventory before you can build again. *Your Materials tray is right on your screen at all times and you can click on the square (outlined for emphasis in the example image on the right) to open and close it. It handy for quickly peeking at the materials you have or keeping track of a single material while you gather; to do so, click to select the material you want to show up in the tray. :*When you gather most materials, you get all of the textures you can use to build with. There are some exceptions to this, but they are limited. If you want to see if you have more possible textures to use, go to the a crafting area and click on the crafting tables; most recipes are found at the Tinkerer's Workshop, but others, like Glass may be at a forge. Before you Start Building In order to build, you will want to gather a wide variety of materials in the world from both mining and chopping down trees. *Some materials, like wood, must be refined at a Tinkerer's Workshop; doing so will add a much greater variety of wood textures to your possible materials. For example, if you gather plain wood logs you'll only see an option to build with plain wood, but of you make wood planks, you'll suddenly have wood trim, wood molding, and a variety of planked flooring that has vertical or horizontal grains. *In order to make lumicite (a material that softly glows at night) you need to build an Refining Station (advanced crafting table). The saw tables will also allow you to refine very large quantities of wood and stone at one time and conserve materials. *Unless you just want to experiment a bit, it's wise to upgrade gathering tools, because the better your tools are, the faster you will gather materials in larger quantities. *If you're anxious to start building and want to hoard materials, you can use the basic crafting stations at any spire and on the claims of any neighbor who has them already. Experiment First, Build Your Dream Claim Later If you've seen videos and pictures of claims before playing or if you've explored and come across some of the incredible structrues other players have built, you may want to start building you dream structure right away. Expecting yourself to be an instant expert can be disheartening for some players though; the tools in Landmark are quite powerful - so powerful the players in Alpha discovered many techniques that the development team didn't think were possible. Just remember that even the most expert builders started out will an awkward mess of blocks, oddly shaped spheres, and poorly shaped arches. Tinker and you'll be surprised what you can achieve over time. Also, remember that the game is still in beta and tools are being improved each week, so what seems out of reach today, may be much easier as we get closer to launch. '''The good news is that the community loves to see its members succeed, so you will find players who've created tutorials to help you learn things you may be struggling with in the form of written tutorials (many on the forums), in videos (all over YouTube), and many have taken to Twitch to stream one or more days/nights a week to help other players. :If you need help, ask on the forums, look for another player in the game, or type /join General to activate general chat for the server you are currently on. Players can now see each other's building tools while working on a claim and most will happily demo what they know how to do if they are not too busy. You'll also find that some players host regular building classes in the game (announced on the forum). The best news is that you don't have to read or watch videos to learn how to build, because Landmark is designed to make it easy to experiment. For example, you can: *Copy/paste things you're building and to undo "mistakes" up to 20 steps back using CTRL + C to copy and CTRL + V to paste. You can also use CTRL + Y to redo anything you've undone. For example, you might want to see what happens when you use the Smooth Tool on a tower. You can copy and paste it several times and test different techniques. *You can save parts of what you build (or entire claims) using the template feature; it's like a library of things you've made, similar to a file folder with pictures you've taken with a camera over the years. You can simply enclose part of what you've built, press CTRL + C to copy it, press T to open your template library and save it for later. :*This allows you to save multiple versions of one thing you want to make (like stairs) and continue experimenting without worry; if you hate the changes you've made, just pull out the previous version later. :*Templates also save you time, freeing you to experiment more, since you don't have to build complex portions of your structure over and over. Need a tower on the left side after you have one on the right finished? Use the Selection Tool to contain it, press CTRL + C to Copy it and hit CTRL + V to paste it right away or save it in your templates, go to bed, and come back and place it the next day. Experimentation Advice *The first time you place a claim in the world, it can be very difficult to comprehend just how huge a single claim is. Not only can you build on the surface, you can build underground too. For this reason, it's wise to remove all of the natural land on your claim. If you do not log out, you can use CTRL + Z to undo the removal or you can simply pick the claim up and place it again. (editor working on a video showing this to be uploaded by Aug 20th) *Build with dirt. Why? It's the most plentiful material in Landmark (you get a bunch each time you mine on the surface of the world) and the Stucco in your materials tray is white. White is one of the easiest materials to spot flaws in your building when using the smooth tool. *Save your templates as dirt? Why? Again, it'd plentiful, but you can use the paint tool to change it to any other material you've gathered (if you have enough). *Like all great art, some of the greatest innovations are a matter "happy accidents". Experimenting often leads to "ah-ha" moments when you may be the one to pioneer a new technique or suddenly grasp techniques you've wanted to master. Swaps You may see posts about "swaps" or "template swaps" on the forum or if you search the Gallery find many listed to visit. *Swaps are claims other players have devoted to the community to allow people to share things they've made and let others copy them. Swaps can be a great way to learn building techniques. :*For example, if you pick up (copy) an template at a swap, you can take it back to your claim later and delete bits and pieces to help you understand how the Voxels react. :*Of course, swaps can also save you time. If you like a roof someone else has donated to the swap, you can create a template and use it in your build, freeing you to master other techniques. *Most swaps are open on specific days or by invite only. When you spot a swap (most owners post signs on their claims, frequently with the word templates) you can always place your mouse at the top of your screen while you are at the claim and send feedback to the owner, asking when and how you can copy templates. Media and Guides The video to the left will show you the basic things that can be done with the building tools in Landmark. Please not that a few of the keyboard shortcuts have recently changed. For example, it's no longer necessary to use CTRL + N to change size scaling on tools. It is now a fluid movement using the mouse wheel. A collection of Tutorials and Guides Several Players have created guides and tutorials to help! *You can view an extensive list of building tutorials and guides and read about (or see) a wide variety of demonstrations. *Check the forums regularly to ask questions, but have a look at the Tutorials and Guides section of the forums. Players post new (or updated) techniques there all of the time! A Summary of Learning Tips The best way to learn to build is to gather some materials and start building. In other words: -Don't worry too much about building a masterpiece, because even the best builders start by placing a block or two, using the delete tool, and so on. Understanding how the tools behave is the first step in a journey of discovery that awaits. -The game has many features built into the building tools and controls (keyboard shortcuts) that make undoing and/or redoing steps in the experimentation process easy once you get the hang of it and that makes trying something new fast and painless. Templates can be saved, altered, and placed later which gives you extraordinary freedom to test a new technique at at any time. -After you've had some time to experiment, each person's way of learning may be different. Some do well by reading guides, while others watch videos, some may learn a little from both methods. Some may learn from disassembling another player's complex template, while others tweak a little here and there in the own builds to advance their skills. -Often if you can't follow one tutorial, playing within the game for awhile and rereading/rewatching portions of tutorials in smaller segments may help. If one tutorial doesn't teach you a technique, try another; sometimes one expert player may word something in a way that "clicks" better. -Have fun. The moment you get frustrated, try another activity in or outside of the game. -If you're lost and confused, head to the official forums and ask for help. The community loves seeing success in each other. -The game is still evolving; leave feedback on the official forums so the developers can improve the tools and other aspects of the game for players. Category:Building Category:Voxel